The richest man started taking advantage of loopholes after joining Alibaba.

The air in the conference room was so heavy it felt like it was about to drip water.

The negotiating table was filled with people again. The sky outside the window was overcast, and no light could get in, but the lamp on the table was on, illuminating the expressions on everyone's faces clearly.

The tug-of-war of the past few days had worn everyone's patience to the limit. The other side's face revealed their determination, while the local officials were caught in the middle, looking troubled and unwilling to offend either side. The air was thick with an atmosphere of certainty; only one final formality remained before the core area of ​​this mine was about to change hands.

The stalemate has reached its deepest point.

It is precisely at this moment, when everyone thinks the outcome is already decided, that the real turning point often lies hidden in an inconspicuous corner. At this moment, apart from Lin Che and the silent person beside him, no one has noticed.

The chief representative took that argument a step further.

"Mr. Lin, I won't beat around the bush." ​​His tone was polite, but his tone was firm. "Your identity is an issue that can't be avoided. A company on the Entity List wants to enter the core area of ​​this mine, but the local approval process will likely be difficult."

He looked at the local official, as if seeking his help.

In the past few days, the other side has taken this tactic to its extreme. First, they pressured the signing process, forcing a deadline of the end of the month. Then, they subtly hinted at the troublesome issue of the official's identity. Now, at the table, they've directly presented the official's identity as a bargaining chip, forcing the official to make a statement on the spot.

The moves were all interconnected, each targeting the same point: to relentlessly exploit the vulnerability of Wei Guang's identity.

The official's expression did indeed show some difficulty.

"This... is indeed a consideration." The official spoke cautiously. "The higher-ups have always been cautious about foreign investment in core mining areas. For a company like Weiguang, going through the entire process will be quite difficult. I have to think one more step ahead for you. If the approval gets stuck, you won't get the land, and you'll have already invested all the money. Then you'll lose on both ends."

Upon hearing this, the scales visibly tipped in favor of the other side.

He Wei stood behind Lin Che, her hands clenched tightly. She could tell that the official was about to relent. Once the official relented and determined that Wei Guang's identity wouldn't pass the approval process, there would be no room for negotiation.

This is exactly what they wanted.

They used his status as a weapon, slashing at Lin Che again and again, until he was cornered. They pushed him to the point where even the officials began to waver, until everyone in the room felt that Wei Guang had no choice but to accept the unfavorable solution.

The chief representative's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He thought the outcome was already decided.

He was even considering how to proceed with the signing of the contract. This Chinese man, whom he had once looked up to and who had hit him where it hurt several times in casual conversation, had ultimately stumbled over the issue of his identity.

Ultimately, no matter how skilled one is, they can't overcome an insurmountable weakness. In his heart, he had already put an end to this game.

At that very moment, he noticed Lin Che's reaction.

Lin Che did not show the anxiety or resentment he had expected.

Quite the opposite.

Upon hearing the official's words, and realizing that the hurdle of his identity had been firmly pressed down upon him, Lin Che's expression actually relaxed.

It was a sense of relief that came after a long period of tension.

He even let out a very light sigh of relief.

The chief representative was taken aback.

He couldn't understand why someone about to lose the core area would react this way. This sigh of relief seemed utterly unreasonable.

Logically, having his identity issue suppressed in public should have been the most alarming moment for Lin Che. Yet, at this crucial juncture, he breathed a sigh of relief, as if a weight had finally been lifted from his shoulders.

unless……

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he suppressed it. He didn't want to think in that direction, because it meant that from the very beginning, it wasn't Lin Che who was being led by the nose.

It was himself.

He instinctively dismissed this absurd speculation. How could a Chinese company burdened with the Entity List possibly gain the upper hand in such a matter? It defied logic.

But the composure emanating from Lin Che felt like a needle, making him uneasy.

Lin Che did not go to see the chief representative, nor did he look at the troubled official.

He turned his head to look at Shen Nan, who was sitting next to him.

From the moment he sat down at the table, Shen Nan remained quietly to the side, saying little, his old briefcase resting at his feet, like an insignificant attendant. No one paid him any attention.

At that moment, their eyes met in mid-air.

In that glance, there was no anxiety, no discussion, only an unspoken understanding. It was like something long planned had finally reached the point of closing the net. He Wei understood in that one look. Having followed Lin Che for so long, she was all too familiar with that look. Every time that look appeared, it meant the real show was about to begin. And the smug chief representative was completely unaware that the very identity he was so proud of was about to be used against him.

Shen Nan nodded slightly.

He bent down, picked up the briefcase that hadn't been touched at his feet, and placed it on the table.

It was an old briefcase, made of cowhide, its corners worn white, revealing the pale color underneath. On this gleaming negotiating table, it stood out remarkably, so much so that in recent days, no one had given it a second glance.

But no one in the room knew what was inside this unassuming bag.

No one knew that the thing inside had been secretly prepared by Lin Che for eleven days. From the first day he set foot on this land, it had been lying there quietly, waiting for this moment.

The chief representative's gaze unconsciously fell on the briefcase.

The inexplicable unease in his heart intensified.

Lin Che withdrew his gaze and looked back at the opposite side.

The tension on his face had completely disappeared, replaced by a calm and composed demeanor.

This composure, observed by the chief representative, was more alarming than any rebuttal. A person driven to the brink should not have such an expression, unless, of course, he never considered it a desperate situation.

Everyone at the table was waiting for Lin Che's answer, waiting for him to admit defeat, waiting for him to put pen to paper on the proposal that was unfavorable to him.

No one expected that what he was about to say next was not an admission of defeat at all.

He spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"That's fine."

He turned his head and said to Shen Nan.

"Take the things out."

After he finished speaking, the whole room fell silent for a moment.

Everyone's gaze followed Lin Che's line of sight and fell on Shen Nan, on the inconspicuous old briefcase on the table.

Shen Nan did not hesitate for a moment.

He reached out and steadily fastened the button on the briefcase.